Ping Tung Academy Introduction
In 1815 (the 20th year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty), Wu Xingcheng, the local magistrate of Tamsui County, along with scholars Guo Cui and Lin Mengyang, proposed the establishment of Pingtung Academy (also known as Confucius Temple) to promote local culture and education. Although the academy has undergone multiple relocations and renovations, it has retained the original layout of the lecture hall, sacrificial hall, and dormitory, fully presenting the spatial characteristics of a traditional academy. It is a historic building with a long history in Pingtung and the only academy structure within the region. The Pingtung Academy was originally founded in what is now Zhongshan Park, consisting of 36 dormitory rooms, with the front hall serving as the lecture hall and the rear hall dedicated to the worship of Wenchang Dijun, Chengzi, and Zhouzi. In 1895 (the 21st year of the Guangxu era), the Pingtung Academy was converted into a Confucius Temple, primarily dedicated to Confucius, with Mencius, Yanzi, Sizhi, and Zengzi as auxiliary deities, alongside the celebrated Confucian scholars Zhouzi, Zhuxi, Cheng Yi, Cheng Hao, and Zhangzi. However, due to a lack of funds for repairs, the temple gradually fell into disrepair. In 1937, the Japanese authorities planned to relocate the Confucius Temple to another location, but following appeals from Japanese scholars to preserve it, it was dismantled and moved to its current site on Shengli Road in accordance with its original appearance. After the relocation, for a long period, the temple was not actively maintained, resulting in its dilapidated condition. It wasn't until 1977 when the then Pingtung County Commissioner invited renowned architect Han Baode to oversee a restoration project, and by 1979, the temple was restored to its former glory. The restored Confucius Temple features an expanded courtyard, a connected front and rear hall via a pavilion, the main hall modified into the Dacheng Hall, the rear hall transformed into the Chongsheng Shrine, an attached sloping corridor, and a newly constructed screen wall inscribed with "Jiuren Gongqiang." Additionally, four stone tablets were preserved to present the history of the academy's construction. In 1985, the Pingtung Academy was designated as a national third-class historic site, bearing significant cultural value and preserving its historical character.
